Beyond Distant Time
by Caithyra
Summary: The choice is to change history, and never have Inuyasha's love. The choice is a world where she is just Kagome, not a second Kikyou. Will she save Inu no Taishou? And send ripples of change through time? It's a world she wished for, but fears as well.
1. What's Broken and Shattered

**Beyond Distant Time**

**Chapter I**

**What's Broken and Shattered**

"Inuyasha, stop it." Her voice brought him to a complete halt, the strange calmness frightening him.

A year. A measly year. A long, long year. It was their wedding anniversary. It was her twentieth birthday. It was exactly five years ago that he had been released from the Goshinboku. It was exactly fifty-five years since he was sealed there by her former incarnation. It would be exactly four-hundred and eighty years until she would be born.

And she couldn't take it anymore.

It felt strange. Like waking up after a dream and finding that you had been living someone else's life.

Miko. Kaede. The village.

There were no future, no ramen (except on special occasions), no chocolate, no bike, no first aid kit, no flashlight, no music player, no camera, nothing from the future.

The necklace was gone, because she stopped using it. She would quietly support him, and try to be the best wife possible.

When she looked in the mirror, she saw that she had aged, and her hair was longer.

She looked like Kikyou. She behaved like Kikyou. She had the same soul as Kikyou.

And then she done something so completely like Kagome, and the illusion shattered and she woke up.

She had been drowning in Kikyou, slowly dying, and she flailed against it with her entire being. And the result was a confused and irritable Inuyasha, who couldn't understand her sudden change of personality. And the more agitated he became, the stronger her doubts.

The doubts, which had been planted all those years ago when Kikyou was resurrected. The doubts that she had refused to acknowledge, and that she wasn't _allowed_ to feel, now nibbled at her, pointing out each and every time Inuyasha waited for a Kikyou-response and how strange he became when it was a Kagome-response.

She remembered Kikyou's last moments, kissing Inuyasha as he held her tenderly. How the warmth of Kikyou's soul (since when was it Kikyou's? It was Kagome's and Midoriko's! Yet even the truth felt blasphemous to think) enveloped them, and how the soul had been carried away (it should have been returned to Kagome and Midoriko! But Kikyou made sure that her last part survived, and Kagome could sort of understand that, and then feel guilty that she wanted her _own soul_ just to be whole again), and how Kagome wasn't allowed to think ill or be jealous of Kikyou.

She wasn't allowed on Mount Azusa to feel any negative emotions towards Kikyou.

She wasn't allowed to feel it when facing Naraku, or the jewel would have been tainted.

She wasn't allowed to feel it in her relationship with Inuyasha (after all, what could be more pathetic than being jealous of a dead woman?).

She wasn't allowed to feel.

Yet she couldn't help but to think. Couldn't help but to doubt. What if Naraku hadn't killed Kikyou? What if Inuyasha had a choice between Kagome and Kikyou? What if?

And she had unconsciously seen it. Known it. And remodelled herself to fit him and the choice he was never given. She had given up on the future, her family, her friends, herself.

And now she couldn't anymore. Now she wanted to be Kagome. She wanted her future back. She wanted herself back. She wanted her soul back.

She wanted Houjou, who brought her a bouquet of bellflowers when she mentioned Kikyou, she wanted Souta, who had wondered why she stopped teasing him, Yuka, who would try to set her up on a blind date, Eri, who would make fun of Kagome's lack of fashion sense, Ayumi, who would cheer Kagome on in her studies and everyone else who never heard of Kikyou.

"I'm going home." She met his gaze, not wavering for a second.

"But you are home," Inuyasha protested, his ears flat against his head. He knew what she meant, but he refused to believe it. Now when he didn't have the necklace anymore, the well wouldn't accept him, and if she went home, she would be out of his reach.

She simply turned and started to walk out of the village.

"Make sure to be back early tomorrow, there's youkai to be exterminated!" Inuyasha called after her, he seemed gruff and unconcerned, but she could hear the unasked question.

"_Will you come back?"_

~*~

"Kagome!" It felt like a heavy weight disappeared from her shoulders when Kagome heard her mother call.

It felt nice to meet someone who never knew Kikyou, and Kagome felt sick for thinking it, but she couldn't help but to bask in the embrace that was meant just for her. She had to firmly remind herself that Naraku and the Shikon jewel was no more, and that no one would get hurt if she indulged herself in this impure thoughts just this once.

"Who's that?" Kagome blinked as she saw a stranger enter their house before they did.

"Who? Oh, Tanaka-san." Her mother suddenly looked troubled. "You know how hard it is to keep this place going, and right now there isn't much money granted to minor cultural heritage sites such as this, so we had to rent out a room to college students."

Kagome blinked. The only room in the house that they could rent out would have been Kagome's old room. Oh. It made sense, because they had a hard time making ends meet even when Kagome did odd work such as babysitting and dog walking before being pulled into the past. A single mother with two children. An old man with heart troubles. A large, old and hard to keep presentable property. And that was before Kagome needed all the survival stuff. Before not just the family in the shrine was supported, but also the jewel hunting group in the past got their fair share of supplies.

"Anyway, you must be hungry, I'll go and make dinner and then we can catch up." Her mother saw the troubled look flash across Kagome's face, and hoped to distract her daughter.

Kagome walked up to the Goshinboku and stared at it, lost in thought. What did she have to offer her family in the future? She spent her entire first year in high school relearning the basics, because she hadn't been able to properly learn in the past, she spent her second year just barely managing a passable grade, and after her third year, it was clear that no college worth its fees would take her, not that she would be able to afford it without scholarships.

No one would hire her except for things like cleaning and pet-sitting, occupations that would at most balance out her presence at the shrine, and any job with higher wages wouldn't even consider her without at least a college education.

And so, when dinner was cleaned away and Tanaka-san was safely in Kagome's old room, studying, and Kagome had finished playing around with Souta and listened to grandfather's old tales, the two women found themselves sitting in the garden.

Kagome told her mother everything. Except her wish to remain in the future.

"You know, Inuyasha is your first, serious love," her mother started in that serene voice of hers. "One always believes that the first love is the last, and sure, you remember it forever, but in my experience the more time the lovers spend together, the more the novelty of love wears off."

"So our relationship will never be fixed?" Kagome asked, genuinely curious.

Unfortunately, her mother didn't catch it and hurried to comfort her. "Of course! All relationships can be mended as long as the participants work together on it."

Kagome forced a smile, remembering how content Inuyasha had been with her Kikyou. He would do anything to get those days back. "Thank you mother."

She then stood up and stretched. "Well, I better get back to the past."

"Take care." Her mother smiled, but it was a smile that held too much sunshine and wishes, a smile meant to give support even though she wanted nothing more than to hold onto her daughter, to cradle her and tell her that everything will be fine. Kagome answered with a smile of her own.

But when Kagome stood by the well, her smile dropped. She then steeled herself. This was it, there was no other choice. She _had_ to make her relationship with Inuyasha work. She then jumped.

As she floated in the blue light, she once more felt the weight return. Once more feel the mistakes she did. Once more-

"What the-?" she breathed as her surroundings shifted.

She felt herself accelerate, yet she felt like moving through sludge, and she should have been in the past by now.

She panicked when glowing tendrils started to surround her, weaving into her body and flesh, but she couldn't cry out or move and all she could do was silently wait for it to be over.

It burned as the tendrils started to crawl underneath her skin, and if she had the presence of her body, she would have felt nauseous as they writhed like worms underneath her skin. A pressure seemed to build up within her, and she made a final try to stop whatever was going on. To rip herself out of the well.

To be free.

She hated the feeling of helplessness as darkness claimed her.

~*~

She awoke to birdsong, and relief flooded her when she realised that she must have entered the past. In fact, it all just seemed like a bad dream.

Standing up, she looked around for the handles she had carved into the side of the well. Not finding them in the darkness, she shrugged and climbed out using vines that she never noticed before (not that she ever _had_ to notice them before). Once out of the well, she paused with a frown.

Ever since her true powers were unsealed, she had always been able to feel any holy and demonic persons in a large radius around her. When she usually was at the well, she would feel the ripples of Inuyasha, Shippou, Miroku, Kaede, Rin and Kirara in the village, but right now, it was silent.

Okay, so there was some minor youkai at the edges of her senses, but it wasn't familiar or malicious, so she ignored it. Looking around, she took a deep breath and gripped the Azusa bow tightly before she hesitantly moved forward. Maybe there had been an attack and they had to evacuate?

She then froze.

Because in front of her where Goshinboku should have been, covered in moss, thick and tall, it looked like the great tree had been severely pruned. And scrubbed clean of moss. It was surreal.

"Okay, what on earth..." Kagome trailed off, wondering what the hell had been going on during the few hours she'd been gone.

Glancing the tree one last time, she hurried towards the village. Hopefully she wasn't too late to help if there had been an attack.

She soon slowed into a walk, realising that it wouldn't do anyone any good if she rushed headlong into danger.

And walked some more.

And some more. Was the forest always this big?

And she should have come upon the village by now.

Kagome panicked, but tried to calm down. "Okay, it's okay, I just took a wrong turn somewhere and is lost. Tomorrow Inuyasha will sniff me out and he'll yell at me for being lost and things will go back to normal."

She didn't really convince herself, but it was the only viable option. The other option just wasn't feasible.

The forest then ended, and with a lighter heart, she expected to see the fields and houses of a farming community. Instead she only saw a vast field, and in the middle of that field, a group of warriors were walking, no trudging, through the tall grass. She saw one of them leaning against their pole, bearing the kamon they fought under, and she thought it weirdly disrespectful.

She felt disoriented, and there was something about the warrior's uniforms that her mind refused to accept, but she pulled herself together and ran after them, calling out. At the very least, they should know _something_.

"Hey wait!"

As one, the company of soldiers stopped and looked at her, and something struck her as odd about them. Most of them looked deathly afraid, yet when they saw her, hope appeared in their eyes. She wasn't sure if she liked it. Especially not when she knew what happened to most women who met testosterone-driven, depraved soldiers. Still, she was clad as a miko, and that should protect her.

"Miko-sama, what fortune!" One of the soldiers greeted her as she caught up. "You must speak to our captain immediately!"

Kagome stopped, her mind reeling with confusion, and in her befuddlement, she found herself being herded towards the front, towards the riders.

"The fates must certainly be smiling on us, Miko-sama," Kagome blinked as the captain spoke and looked up.

He looked strangely familiar. Somewhere in the back of her head, warning bells rung, but she ignored them.

"I don't know, do they?" Kagome asked.

"Of course! Here we are, going to slay a foul youkai that bewitched our lady, but none of us are holy. Yet on the way there we run across you, Miko-sama."

"Ah." Kagome paused, her mind running circles. _Could it be...?_ "Who is the Emperor of Japan?"

"Go-Saga-tennou of course!" The captain seemed taken aback with her question. Of course, as a miko, and thus a scholar, she was expected to know at least this basic type of information.

"Oh." As far as she knew, Go-Nara-tennou was the emperor in the Sengoku period. In fact, she seemed to remember a Go-Saga-tennou in the _Kamakura period_. But that couldn't be! It would be too ridiculous. Okay, so her life hadn't exactly been a study of logic before, and she was fairly certain that the armour the soldiers wore matched up with Kamakura armour, but lots of people didn't have the money to re-equip their soldiers with the latest trends, so all that meant was that it was sometime after those armours were designed.

Looking at the captain, another thought struck her. _Please be wrong, please be wrong, please be wrong!_ "Who are you?"

Still nonplussed, the captain amiably answered. "Setsuna no Takemaru."

"_All women who cavort with youkai are Izayoi!"_

**End of Chapter**


	2. The Time of No Return

**Beyond Distant Time**

**Chapter II**

**The Time of No Return**

Kagome stumbled, but she hardly noticed as she ran through the forest. After Takemaru introduced himself, she managed to mumble some half-ass excuse about having to investigate something in the forest. Takemaru said that they would wait for her, but Kagome said that she didn't know how long it would take. Then Takemaru simply said that they would make camp outside the forest, as they would reach the palace the next day anyway, and that if Kagome's business were done, she could come with them then.

It made Kagome sick to think of the amiable captain as the insane and bloodthirsty creature that nearly brought Hell to Earth, just as it made her sick to think of Kikyou, and of Inuyasha and of Naraku.

She wasn't allowed to hate these people, she had to pity them, because hate was an impure emotion and she needed to be a miko.

She finally stumbled into the clearing with the well.

She now just wanted to get home, and she didn't care which home. She had already resolved to fix her relationship with Inuyasha, and if she returned to the future, she would work triple shifts to help her family. Just as long as she got home.

She put her hands on the edge. "Please, if you ever listened to my wishes, please let me go home."

She jumped, and cried out in pain as she landed.

"No," she started, "no, no, no." She fell to her knees and started to scrape through the packed dirt ineffectively, hoping to uncover a blue light. "This isn't supposed to happen!"

But it was clear that the well had no intention to work. At least not yet. She then huddled into a ball and cried. Cried like she had never been allowed to do, cried because this was a world that didn't expect her to smile and be strong, cried because her two worlds were beyond her reach.

Once she ran out of tears, the stars dotted the sky and she could feel hunger cramp her stomach. She then made a choice, a decision, that even if she wouldn't stay until Inu no Taishou came, she would stay long enough to recover her strength and eat.

With that resolve, she climbed out of the well and started the trek back to the soldiers.

~*~

They had been nice enough to give her a horse, and Kagome mentally balked. Not because she was afraid of horses (even if she was, she doubted the sweet, old battle mare would have scared her), but because these were the killers of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's father, and it felt wrong to accept favours from the killers of her "father-in-law". But she couldn't refuse without having questions asked, because they expected her to be used to be treated as a messiah.

So now she sat on a horse lead by one of the younger soldiers, Bunta, she believed he was called.

It just didn't make sense why this young boy would go and fight Inu no Taishou, and so she found herself asking questions. "Bunta-kun, if you don't mind me asking, but exactly what type of situation am I getting into?"

Bunta turned towards her with starry eyes, as a lowly servant-boy, it was rare that he would have a honorific at all. The older men certainly knew what they talked about when the spoke of Miko-sama's benevolence. So he had no qualms with answering her questions (and as a lowly servant-boy, no one noticed him around, so aside from Takemaru, he was ironically the most informed of everyone).

"Well, you could say it started about five years ago, when Takemaru-sama repelled an army in service to our lord, Fujiwara no Masamori. In recognition to his services, Takemaru-sama was to wed Masamori-sama's eldest daughter, Fujiwara no Izayoi-hime, with me so far?" Bunta paused and Kagome nodded. Who knew that Izayoi was a Fujiwara? This just kept getting better and better, and by better, Kagome meant worse. Bunta then continued as if struck by a thought. "You do know the Fujiwara clan, right?"

"Of course I do!" Kagome answered indignantly, though she could see why he asked, after all, she didn't even know the _emperor_.

"Forgive me, Miko-sama," Bunta bobbed his head. "Anyway, at the time, Masamori-sama and Izayoi-hime where in the capital, and at the time, a great youkai lord was there as well. It was an effort to mend the rift between youkai and humans, but no one knew at the time that the youkai lord planned to bewitch Izayoi-hime. Not until eight months ago, when the youkai lord was spotted leaving Izayoi-hime's private chambers. Of course, it would have been hushed up, hadn't Izayoi-hime become pregnant, which meant that she had to be sent away to the most isolated palace that the Fujiwara clan owned. In order to atone for his lapse of guard, Takemaru-sama offered to slay the youkai lord."

Kagome blinked, she didn't even understand half of what he said, so she tried to make him clarify. "Is Izayoi-hime and Takemaru-sama married?"

"No, they're betrothed still. It was an unfortunate timing as a small youkai army besieged one of the Fujiwara palaces at the time, and Takemaru-sama had to go and free it. It took years until the army was defeated." Bunta readily supplied.

"Why was Izayoi-hime sent away?" He gave her a _look_ and Kagome quickly changed her question. "Why do Takemaru-sama need to atone?"

"Izayoi-hime's guardianship was passed from her father to Takemaru-sama when they became betrothed. It was Takemaru-sama's duty to make sure no other men came near her, and certainly to guard her from becoming pregnant by a youkai!" Bunta gritted out the last words. "Honestly, women are foolish and even if you lock them up, they manage to ruin your life anyway!"

Kagome's temper flared up. He was way too young for her to take his crap. "Well, _excuse_ me for being a _foolish_ woman. And ruining _your_ life? Isn't Izayoi-hime's life ruined because people like you use her like an object to be traded?"

Bunta seemed struck. "Forgive me Miko-sama, of course I was only talking about women who are not holy as yourself."

Kagome glared at him, letting him know that he wasn't forgiven with that sorry excuse of an apology. No wonder that Inuyasha was mistreated if human princesses were treated like this! And apparently miko were special or something.

Bunta continued to ramble. "Of course, a pure and holy woman as you would never be subject to the weaknesses of other women."

Kagome suddenly felt tired. "Bunta-kun, could you please be silent."

He shut up.

The weaknesses of normal women. Kagome wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. It was those weaknesses that killed Kikyou. It was those weaknesses that sent Kagome to this time. If he knew what rotten personality she had, he wouldn't call her pure anymore.

When she returned to reality, she saw the palace's walls appear between the trees of the forest.

~*~

"Miko-sama, come with me," Takemaru said as Kagome dismounted.

Kagome followed him through the complex of buildings, noting that only a few guards and servants seemed to be present. While there was probably a difference in the numbers of servants in an affluent household in the Kamakura period as opposed to the Sengoku period, Kagome was willing to bet that this number was less than half than normal.

Because they were there to serve a disgraced woman.

Her knuckles whitened as she squeezed the bow. _Just stay here, eat, then get out and find something else. Just stay here for a few days and then get out. You do not want to get involved in this._

They stopped in front of a building in the region the farthest back from the entrance. Takemaru then turned towards Kagome. "Miko-sama, you are to stay with Izayoi-hime and kill the youkai if he appears in front of you."

Kagome tensed, but he didn't wait for an answer, instead he slid the door open.

"Who's there?" There were sounds of hurried steps.

"Izayoi-hime, wait!" Another voice called, and more steps joined until the two women came into view.

Dressed in so many layers that Kagome couldn't help but to remember the tale of the courtesan who drowned, the weight of her own many kimono dragging her into the depths, Izayoi came into view. The layers hid her heavily pregnant stomach. Behind Izayoi, a woman dressed in fewer layers, a handmaiden, also appeared.

"Takemaru-sama," Izayoi greeted, and with a surprisingly happy voice in Kagome's opinion.

"Izayoi-sama." His voice suddenly sounded strained and Kagome looked at him in askance. "This Miko-sama will stay with you until the youkai is dead."

"Oh." Izayoi seemed taken aback, and Kagome couldn't blame her, feeling something similar herself. "Nice to meet you, Miko-sama. I am Fujiwara no Izayoi."

Takemaru gave a strained sound before speaking. "Now then, since you two are acquainted, I will go and see that everyone gets settled."

Kagome wanted to protest, she didn't want to stay, she wanted to leave, but Izayoi and her handmaiden were already leaving, forcing her to follow. As Kagome closed the door, she caught a glance of Takemaru, and her heart nearly stopped.

_That_ was the Takemaru she remembered. Fanatically insane and venomously watching Izayoi's back, with a dark cloud of jyaki surrounding him.

~*~

"I'm sorry for troubling you," Izayoi said as she lead the way.

Kagome didn't know what to think. _Troubling me?! I'm here to kill your lover, don't be so freaking polite!_ "No, it's not any trouble!"

"Oooh, then you must be very powerful, Miko-sama," the handmaiden cut in. "After all, you're here to slay Inu no Taishou."

Kagome saw Izayoi wince and wanted to kick the handmaiden, instead she allowed herself to brag. "I am very powerful."

This seemed to shut the handmaiden up, but it also made Izayoi look away, and now Kagome wanted to kick herself.

"Well then, I'll go and help with the dinner preparations," the handmaiden said in a clipped voice, before disappearing down another hallway.

Kagome looked at Izayoi, who looked more miserable by every step she took. Against her better judgement, Kagome decided to comfort her.

"You know, I do not want to kill Inu no Taishou."

Izayoi stopped, and Kagome nearly ran into her back. Looking at Izayoi's face, Kagome was struck with how young she was, only looking around one or two years older than Kagome herself, and then how surprised Izayoi seemed.

"You do not want to kill him?" Izayoi asked.

"Well, I don't dislike youkai just because they're youkai, and from what I've heard about him, Inu no Taishou seems to be a fairly good person." Kagome smiled, trying to reassure Izayoi.

She was surprised when Izayoi clamped a hand over her mouth. "Bwha-?"

"Ssshh. You can not speak like that where anyone can hear you. If they hear you, they will think that you are the same as me."

Izayoi looked around, before dragging Kagome into an empty room. "There, now you can speak."

"What was that about?" Kagome demanded to know.

Izayoi seemed at first confused that Kagome didn't get it, then she started to reluctantly explain. "Women who show any kind of sympathy for youkai are filthy and impure. I am lucky that I am a Fujiwara, if I was not, I would be treated like a youkai's whore. At best, I would have a quick death, at worst, I would be the personal entertainment for any man that might desire it, since I already have loved the worst possible person."

"That's just wrong," Kagome protested. "I know several youkai, and many of them are nice. I also know youkai who reformed from being evil and youkai who, though not altogether pleasant, are honourable."

"Even so, no one is going to listen to you." Izayoi sadly shook her head. Then she tried to change the subject. "If you do not desire to kill Inu no Taishou, why are you here?"

Kagome hesitated, she didn't know how much she could do before she irreparably changed history. Still, she could see no harm in saying a few things. And so, Kagome ended up telling the story of how she had come to be in Takemaru's company, minus time-travelling and plus some sailing, to explain why her friends and family weren't nearby.

Izayoi listened with rapt attention, and Kagome soon realised that for Izayoi, being capable of walking wherever she wanted, without a group of servants and approval from her guardian, was something Izayoi could only dream of.

It made Kagome angry. Angry that Izayoi was captured within a cage because the people around her refused to listen to her. And of course, it was all for Izayoi's own good.

Ironically, it made Kagome think of her namesake.

"_Kagome, Kagome, the bird in the cage..."_

~*~

It had been a week. A whole week. Kagome had already found a small gate in the wall in Izayoi's garden, but every time she thought about leaving, she could only remember Takemaru's face and Izayoi's loneliness. She reasoned that it was at least a few weeks left before Inuyasha would be born, and that she could stay and keep Izayoi company.

And did Izayoi ever need the company, as everyone else treated her like she not only had the plague, but also was an evil witch as well. And add onto that the pregnancy and many layers of kimono, and Kagome found herself entertaining Izayoi with a modified version of her adventures.

Izayoi drank her words like a small child, and delighted in asking about each and every event. It cheered Kagome up, and she started to like Izayoi more than she probably should, but she just couldn't stop. It was in Kagome's nature to take in those orphaned from society.

She didn't even notice as snow began to fall.

"_...When will you come out?..."_

~*~

It was by the second week that Kagome ventured out of the palace's walls, though more with the intention to scout the area. Izayoi hardly moved at all now, and Kagome didn't want to leave her alone. The gate opened upon a small trail through the forest, and Kagome decided that if she had to escape, she should at least know which route to take.

A cold wind swept around her and she wondered if it would be a harsh winter.

Then she saw the sea, stretching as far as the eye could see. And she sensed it, the feeling of an immense youki being sealed away. Far, far away from where she was. Her blood ran cold and she turned and ran back the way she came.

"_...In the evening of the dawn..."_

~*~

When she returned, Kagome could see warriors getting prepared, and making sure that no one could see her, she slipped around to the back gate. She could see handmaidens run back and forth with towels. Izayoi had gone into labour. Kagome hurried her steps.

"Izayoi-hime!" She cried out as she entered chambers. Strangely devoid of people, except an old midwife, and piles of towels and water that had been boiled beforehand.

"Miko-sama?" Izayoi's breathing was quick and painful.

The midwife nodded to Kagome, who fell to her knees beside Izayoi and grabbed her hand. "I'm here."

"I'll go and fetch some more towels," the midwife excused herself.

"What about the soldiers?" Kagome wanted to know, according to Myouga, Inu no Taishou had to resurrect Izayoi.

"No men are allowed in the same room as a woman giving birth." There was finality in the old woman's tone as she left.

"He will come." Izayoi gasped as another contraction came. "He promised that he would come for me when the baby is born."

Kagome felt troubled. She should get out, but she just _couldn't_. She couldn't leave Izayoi like this. Then she heard someone move around outside. Someone in armour.

"_...The crane and turtle slipped..."_

~*~

"Men aren't allowed here," Kagome said as Takemaru sat beside her.

Takemaru ignored her. "Izayoi-sama."

"Takemaru?" Izayoi sighed, relieved. "You should gather your men and run. There is no way for you to win."

Kagome then noticed the blood on the spear, and her fingers flexed around her bow. _It's wrong! Wrong!_ Her instincts were screaming at her, telling her to either move it or run for it. She nearly choked at the jyaki that consumed Takemaru's aura.

Then Takemaru started to spill his feelings, and for a moment, Kagome nearly, nearly (oh so nearly, she would have nightmares for years) dropped her guard. Fortunately she didn't.

Takemaru brought back the spear, before aiming it at the shadow of Izayoi's bloated stomach.

It was deflected by the handle of the bow, as Kagome positioned herself between Takemaru and Izayoi.

"If you want to kill her, you have to go through me," Kagome hissed, eyes like lightning.

She didn't know if Takemaru would take the bait, and fortunately, she never had to know, as the ground shook and the familiar feeling of Kaze no Kizu's youki bounced against her aura. Takemaru cursed and turned to run towards the commotion.

Then Kagome turned towards Izayoi. "How much time do you think you have?"

Izayoi strained as another contraction shook her body. "I do not know. According to the midwife, once the shoulders are out, it should go fast."

Kagome nodded and grabbed a towel, and to check on the progress. Bloody, white ears greeted her and she smiled in spite of the situation. "The head is almost completely out, I think I can help a little once that is done."

"Please do." If the situation hadn't been so dire, Kagome would have laughed at Izayoi's strained plea.

Then Kagome went to work, remembering all the first aid courses, some with emergency child birth procedures, that her mother made her take once it was clear that she would keep travelling to the past. It was further helped by having aided Kaede with delivering Sango's children.

The moment the head was free, Kagome cleared it of mucus and blood, freeing the airways. Absentmindedly, she heard another explosion, but paid it no mind as Inuyasha took his first breath and started screaming.

Kagome barely had time to fetch some more towels before the rest of the baby came out.

"It's a boy," she told Izayoi, tying the umbilical cord off with the sterilised (really, boiled) string that had been prepared. Then she handed him to the new mother, who was gasping for air.

"He's beautiful," Izayoi murmured as she started to nurse him.

"He has very cute ears," Kagome agreed.

Soon the placenta was expelled as well and both mother and child cleaned and wrapped in clean kimono and towels. Then Kagome realised that Inu no Taishou should have been there by now.

A thought suddenly struck her. Inu no Taishou was weak and injured, and Myouga said that only Takemaru's taunts about having killed Izayoi caused a final burst of power. Had Takemaru won, now when Inu no Taishou wasn't as desperate?

"We have to get out of here," Kagome forcefully said, helping Izayoi up.

"But what about-" Izayoi's protests were cut off.

"I'll fetch Inu no Taishou, but you must go through the gate in the back of the garden and follow the trail to the sea. We'll meet you there." Kagome couldn't protect mother and child as well as getting Inu no Taishou. "Now go!"

Izayoi hesitated, then she bowed, before taking off into a run defying her earlier birthing experience.

Kagome strung an arrow and ran the other way, towards the mass of youki and jyaki. Then she could feel the smell. The smell of smoke and burning wood and rice paper. They had set the palace on fire.

"Of all the stupid things," Kagome grumbled and rounded a corner, nearly running into Takemaru and an inferno.

Takemaru wasn't missing an arm, as he should have done.

"Where's Inu no Taishou?" Kagome demanded, aiming the arrow at him.

Takemaru sneered. He had believed her a kindred soul in his hate for youkai. In fact, she was the only reason why they didn't waste soldiers on guarding Izayoi's chambers. It was both lucky and unlucky. Lucky, because the extra soldiers got several arrows into the youkai, unlucky, because the miko had prevented him from killing Izayoi.

A miko who now wanted to know where the youkai was. He felt his blood boil. "Why? Are you another whore who willingly gives herself to youkai?"

Kagome could see the madness in his eyes, and she recognised it. The only difference was that now she was armed, unsealed, didn't have to worry about a child and had years of experience under her obi. "Better a youkai than you."

That was it. He completely lost it, and the jyaki consumed him fully as he launched himself at her.

Kagome let the arrow fly, digging itself into Takemaru's shoulder. The jyaki, which now coursed through his blood, made the sacred powers burn him, stopping him in his tracks.

Kagome didn't hesitate, stringing and letting go of another arrow, this time into his thigh, but he ran forward once more.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Kagome screamed, holding up the bow to ward off his blade, her powers boiling over and shining like a beacon to protect her.

The burn made Takemaru instinctively launch himself backwards, only, now the burn wasn't in his soul, but in his body as he stumbled into a burning, collapsing room.

Kagome stared, staggering backwards, off the walkway and into ankle deep snow, breathing heavily. Then she felt it, and promptly stopped breathing. Immense youki swirled behind her.

"_...Who stands right behind you now?"_

**End of Chapter**


	3. Prayer and Berserker

**Beyond Distant Time**

**Chapter III**

**Prayer and Berserker**

Kagome slowly turned around, not sure that she liked the sense the youki gave her. What she saw made her gasp in shock.

She knew how he was supposed to look, having seen him in Sounga's hell gate. In that vision, he had been pure white.

But what used to be white was now red, as many arrows now pierced him.

"Izayoi," he growled, and Kagome focused on his face.

Not just his clothes and hair had turned from white to red, but his eyes as well. Kagome felt her hopes drop. He was so injured that he had entered some kind of instinctive state.

Remembering how Inuyasha could be those times he lost control, Kagome tried to snap Inu no Taishou out of it. "If you're looking for Izayoi, I can take you to her."

"Izayoi," he growled again and Kagome took a step towards him.

He hoisted Tessaiga high into the air, and Kagome barely had time to dodge as the Kaze no Kizu ripped through where she'd been previously standing. "Hey, stop it! I'm not your enemy!"

This didn't seem to help as he brought up Tessaiga again.

_Oh you have to be kidding!_ Kagome mentally groaned as she prepared to string an arrow while circling him.

"Kaze no Kizu!" She ducked just at the last second, hearing the searing wind rip the roof off a building behind her.

She then let her arrow fly, and it bounced off Tessaiga, forcing it to transform back into its less useful form. "Will you listen to me now?"

He brought down the blade to look at it, and Kagome wasn't sure if she liked how blankly he stared at it. He then threw it to the ground. Kagome breathed a sigh of relief, which she promptly choked on as he grabbed Sounga.

_He grabbed Sounga_. When he couldn't even control _himself_.

Immediately, Sounga's tentacles wrapped around his arm. Kagome's eyes widened and she took a step backwards. This wasn't what she needed right now, and she quickly searched her memory for a solution. Except for Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru with Tessaiga and Tenseiga, what else could... She quickly notched an arrow, and before Sounga had time to get Inu no Taishou's battered body to move, she fired.

It connected with Sounga's hilt.

"_Bitch!_" she heard Sounga hiss as it quickly withdrew into itself to protect against the purification.

Unfortunately, Inu no Taishou's weakened state rendered him susceptible to it as well, and his arm dropped as his burnt fingers let go of Sounga. Then his eyes focused on Kagome, and for the first time in her life, she truly feared a youkai.

Now, she might have been afraid of many youkai, even disgusted and wary, but true, unadulterated panic trickled into her mind as she realised that this youkai wasn't Inuyasha, Kouga, Sesshoumaru or even Naraku, because those four she could reasonably talk down to a not-killing-Kagome mindset (or, you know, just stand by and watch as they pummel Inuyasha, or subjugate them or something), but this was Inu no Taishou.

A youkai whose aura when _weakened_ had the largest aura she'd ever seen. A youkai who instinctively saw her as the enemy. A youkai who could easily take her entire holy powers and then shrug them off (burnt fingers notwithstanding, had it been any other youkai, he would have lost the arm).

She then did the most stupid thing she could ever have done in that situation.

She turned and ran.

She caught up on her idiocy as blades of clawed light hit the wall in front of her, barely missing her head. She quickly turned down another walkway and into a corridor, hoping that he would decide that it wasn't worth chasing her inside a burning building.

Except that she had obviously overestimated his ability to rationally think at the moment, as he didn't even hesitate to follow, and now she was trapped inside a burning building with a berserk youkai.

"You don't want to do this," Kagome pleaded. "I can take you to Izayoi and you can live happily ever after."

He wasn't listening and she felt behind her for an arrow. There were none left, and besides, if she used an arrow on him now, chances were that she could kill him. He then lunged at her and she covered her face and screamed.

**Crackle!**

Kagome slowly opened her eyes, surprised to see everything around her in a pink haze. She then looked up at Inu no Taishou, and saw him extend his claws towards her, pawing on a transparent wall between them. A barrier.

"How-?" Kagome felt something stir behind her and she spun around, and nearly wept in joy.

A shrine. Of course a Fujiwara palace would come with its own holy shrine!

There was an altar with ancestral figures and ofuda, and around the whole thing, a long string of prayer beads were wrapped. Immediately, Kagome went to work, grabbing the prayer beads.

_What did Kaede-baachan do when she bound Inuyasha? Did she say anything?_ Kagome frantically tried to remember. She then coughed as smoke started to fill the room. Then she remembered Miroku's words. _"Intention is the most important aspect of a spell, of course, words have their own power, but you can't replace intention with words, but you can replace words with intention."_ So she closed her eyes and prayed.

She felt the barrier waver underneath the abuse Inu no Taishou heaped upon it, but forced herself to concentrate fully on the prayer beads. _Please work. Please work._

Just as the barrier shattered, the beads turned into light and surrounded Inu no Taishou.

"O-" Kagome started, but was caught in a coughing fit.

Turned out that it counted as a subduing word, as the long string of prayer beads forced Inu no Taishou down, criss crossing around his torso, arms and neck.

Kagome was very wary at first, afraid that he would get up and that without a proper word, she would be defenceless. But he stayed down.

Shaking and coughing violently (and each cough forced Inu no Taishou flatter against the floor, making the wood groan), she slid down against the wall beside the shrine. That had been too close. Too dangerous. She lifted her shaking hand and clenched it into a fist, but it just wouldn't stop shaking.

Swallowing, she could taste ash and soot and she became aware of the surroundings. The far short side of the room was already in flames, and it would take long until the rest was consumed. Her eyes travelled to the prone form of Inu no Taishou, and it struck her how easy it would be.

How easy to just leave him there. So easy. Just let him be and leave and jump into the well and all the changes Kagome had started would be nullified.

Kagome would return to either Sengoku period, and start over with Inuyasha, or to the modern era and try to find a job and support her family. So easy.

Okay, not so easy, because Kagome's adrenaline rush started to fade and she suddenly noticed all the wounds, bruises and aches. With a hiss of pain, she got up and started to limp towards the door. So easy.

Izayoi's caged expression appeared in front of her, but Kagome firmly pushed it aside. She wouldn't risk time-space continuum or create a time paradox or whatever it was she almost did, not for a person she only knew for a few weeks.

Then two other faces appeared in front of her. One, a baby she had know for less than a few minutes, the other, a roughish, heart-of-gold lover who had been ostracised and orphaned. A person not even Izayoi could protect because Izayoi would die long before he reached the equivalent age of a ten year old human. A person who Kagome loved. A person who had desperately needed his dead father.

And now she was walking away, letting that father die.

Spinning on her heels, she rushed back into the burning building, almost immediately having a coughing fit from the black smoke. Groping around his body, she begun to tear the string of beads to pieces, before slinging one of his arms around her shoulders.

Ignoring her protesting body and the arrow shafts poking into her side, she slowly made her way towards the door. He was so heavy! And she was too slow. The fire would take them before she would even feel the cool air from outside.

Salty tears begun to pour down her sooty cheeks. She never asked for this! She wasn't educated or equipped enough to deal with time travelling and paradoxes. She was just an ordinary human!

She felt flames lick her back, and the smell of burning hair as it touched Inu no Taishou's mokomoko, but she finally took one last step before toppling over, into the blessed cool snow.

~*~

It took Kagome quite a while to collect herself, but when she did, she almost lost it again, as she got a closer look at Inu no Taishou's state. He had claw marks along his entire upper torso, presumably from Ryuukotsusei, and added onto that, several sword wounds and many arrows gave the illusion that he had more holes in his skin than he was whole. And the arrows in his front had been pressed into his flesh when she subdued him, and she guessed that was why he became unconscious.

She didn't have any medical supplies, and he wouldn't heal if she left the arrows in him. She weighed the pros and cons. _Blood-loss or leaving the arrows inside of him?_ Remembering how fast Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru could heal, she decided to take her chances with blood-loss.

She gripped a shaft and pulled, and with a sickening, wet sound it let go. Looking at the perfectly usable arrow in her hand, she shrugged, dipped it into the snow to remove most of the blood, before putting it in her quiver. Once the smell of his blood spread, she would need all the weapons she could find to keep youkai who, like Naraku, could absorb other youkai for power and nourishment.

It never occurred to her that if it was before she was pulled to the Sengoku period, she would have balked at touching a bloody arrow, much less contemplate using it. But time and time again, she was forced to be prudent and grab whatever she could find.

Anyway, it never occurred to her because she didn't dare to think as she worked in silence. Because if she thought, then all the fears would overwhelm her. _Inuyasha, time paradoxes, what the hell am I doing?! Okay, not thinking. Nope. Thinking's bad!_

At least something was going right as Inu no Taishou's wounds (excluding Ryuukotsusei's marks, but she suspected that there was something more in those) stopped bleeding almost as soon as she ripped the arrows out. _Well, either that or he's running out of blood... Okay, back to not thinking!_

Once she was finished, she had lots of usable arrows, which in retrospect was bad as lots of broken arrows littered the ground around her.

Looking at him, she saw that he hadn't moved. "What am I going to do with you?"

He didn't even stir and she felt a heavy block of ice in her stomach. _What if- STOP! Not thinking, remember? Do something! Anything! Just don't think!_

She stood up and brushed the snow from her hakama (_I need new ones_, she noted). "I'll go and find Tessaiga and Sounga!"

Finding Tessaiga took longer than she thought, as a thin layer of snow and ashes had covered it, but it wasn't Tessaiga that gave her the most trouble. It was Sounga. Of course, when it comes to swords that are trouble, Sounga easily topped the list, though somehow, it managed to get this point across by being completely and utterly absent.

No matter how much she dug or how many charred house-remains she moved, she couldn't find it. If it wasn't a megalomaniac sword bent on world destruction and with the ability to possess people, she would have left it to rust, but as it were, she was growing more and more uneasy at Sounga's non-presence.

_Okay, back to not thinking! Because thinking is bad, because only bad thoughts-_ She froze. Ever since she hit Sounga with her arrow, she had been unable to feel its presence. But now, it weakly tugged at her, but it was almost drowned out, as it was in the presence of the humongous brightness of Inu no Taishou's aura.

Last time Kagome checked, Sounga couldn't grow legs and walk off.

She turned and ran. Stumbling and dodging charred buildings and burning buildings until she saw Inu no Taishou.

And a possessed Bunta holding Sounga as if to pierce Inu no Taishou's heart.

**End of Chapter**

Sorry that it took so much time to update, and how short this chapter is, but my computer died and I had to send it for repairs. Then I had to send it back because it disliked its new Windows 7, but now it's working and I'm currently recovering my files from the back up.


	4. More Trouble Than He's Worth

**Beyond Distant Time**

**Chapter IV**

**More Trouble Than He's Worth**

"Bunta-kun, stop!" Kagome called out and the boy paused in mid-swing.

She launched herself at the boy, digging her fingers into the mass of tentacles around his arm. She then let her powers run free.

"You insolent wench!" Sounga screamed in pain and couldn't let go fast enough for its liking. In the end, the blade fell to the ground, scorched, smoking and with hairline fractures in its jewelled hilt.

Bunta soon joined it on the ground, staring at his mangled and destroyed arm.

"Bunta-kun?" Kagome hesitantly asked.

"Why?" Bunta's lips quivered. "Why do you save him?! Not even his own sword wants him alive!"

Jyaki was starting to form around Bunta, an energy born from deep, negative emotions. Kagome crouched down to his eye-level and stared at him. She couldn't answer. In fact, she just realised that she saved Inu no Taishou's life _again_.

What was it with fate and giving her an out of her stupid decisions at every turn? And why didn't she take those outs? Why couldn't she let Inu no Taishou die and let time take its course?

A tendril of jyaki spiralled in front of her eyes, bringing her back to the present. Well, she had something more urgent at hand.

Looking at the ever despairing Bunta, Kagome did the first thing that came to mind. "SNAP OUT OF IT!" She slapped him so hard that he was thrown to the ground. The jyaki immediately dissolved as his negative feelings were replaced by shock and pain.

"Can you even see the situation?" Kagome yelled at his prone form. "We have a hellish sword that's nigh-indestructible, and capable of possessing people, and you want to kill the only one capable of keeping it from destroying the world?!"

Bunta tensed, but he didn't move.

"Furthermore, Izayoi-hime wants him to live! Inuyasha wants him to live! Hell, I bet even Sesshoumaru and his mother wants him to live. What right do we have to take him from them?" Kagome felt hot tears streak down her face, and he angrily wiped them away, smearing sooty marks on her cheeks. "All this destruction and death! And for what?! To keep a man from a woman who willingly bears his child? To keep Izayoi-hime captured? What the hell is the reason for all this?!" Her last question ended in a scream of frustration, and even Bunta could tell that it wasn't directed solely at the Inu no Taishou situation.

Bunta slowly sat up, hand to his stinging cheek. He looked at her with large eyes. "You know him."

Kagome stopped, desperately reigning in herself. "I just know that he will be missed if he died."

"You're a strange miko." Bunta looked down at his arm. "You know and care too much about youkai, when you should kill them instead."

Kagome half-smiled. "Youkai are people too. It's true that I've killed and helped to kill many. But I have also befriended a lot of them. You wouldn't like me killing you because Takemaru tried to kill me?"

"Takemaru-sama tried to kill you?!" Bunta stared at her.

"And died because he was consumed by jyaki and couldn't handle my purification."

"Jyaki?" Bunta only knew a few of the legends surrounding miko and couldn't place the term.

"A type of energy that takes over the aura of humans and youkai who get consumed by negative emotions. Of course, some youkai are capable of using jyaki without the negative emotions, but in general rage, fear, despair or something else must trigger it. You almost let it take hold in your aura when I slapped you." Kagome explained.

"Takemaru-sama was consumed by jyaki?" Bunta couldn't believe it.

Kagome sighed and looked towards the burning buildings. The thick, black smoke told her that the ever falling snow would soon put the fires out. "In his case it was jealousy –no, it was more like envy. He wanted what he couldn't have, and in order to get it, he was prepared to sacrifice any number of soldiers on a fool's errand."

"We were sacrifices?"

"I didn't notice it until now, actually. Of course, I knew that killing a healthy Inu no Taishou would be impossible for any human, but he was severely injured before coming here." Kagome smiled an ironic smile, lifting her head to look at the full moon. "But now, I realise just how many were the young of low birth and abysmal abilities, or old and too senile for their experience to be useful, or just old women, or nasty companion-servants that no Fujiwara lady would like to have. Even the palace is unkempt and out of the way, useless unless trade picks up in this region."

"But Izayoi-hime and Takemaru-sama-!" Bunta frantically tried to deny it.

"A princess who sleeps with youkai and an uncontrollable, insane soldier?" Kagome had seen it hundreds of times in her travels, even tried to interfere a few times, but the one time she succeeded, the people she tried to save committed suicide out of disgrace. "Isn't it better to throw such trash out? And even if Inu no Taishou dies, the Fujiwara clan gets the honour of killing him. Either way, they win."

"No... way..." And then Bunta broke down.

Kagome looked at him, her features softening. She wasn't the kind of person to kick the dog that was down. "But they're wrong. Everyone has potential to become something."

She crouched and looked at him, and he blushed. "Why don't you start anew. You don't have to be a warrior to have a great, exciting life. Farmers and scholars also face their battles."

"Miko-sama..." Bunta trailed off, thinking for a moment. He then abruptly stood up. "Wait here!"

"Bunta-kun?" Kagome's eyes trailed him before he disappeared behind a small house. She then turned towards Inu no Taishou. "You know, you're more trouble than you're worth."

She didn't believe her eyes when he stirred. She hurried to his side while at the same time reaching behind herself for an arrow. After all, you couldn't be too careful.

She leaned over him and his eyes opened. They weren't red. "Hey, you're still alive?"

"Miko." He rasped out through heavy breathing.

It took Kagome a second to get the question. "Yes, I'm a miko."

"You're not-" His eyes started to close, "-supposed to be here."

"What?" Kagome blinked.

"I'm not supposed to be alive."

"Hey wait! Don't fall asleep again! What do you mean?"

~*~

When Bunta returned, he found an annoyed and perplexed miko prodding the shoulder-guards of the youkai's armour. He cleared his throat.

Kagome turned her head and was surprised to see Bunta leading two horses with a wagon. "Bunta-kun?"

"You wont get far by carrying him and without supplies, right?" Bunta asked. "I'll help you lift him up and then I find any survivors and tell them that you both died."

Kagome gaped. She had certainly not expected him to think so far ahead. "Thank you."

The wagon was already packed with supplies, but there was enough room on a pile of blankets to accommodate the unconscious youkai. The problem was just to get Inu no Taishou on. Whatever supernatural ability Kagome had used to pull him out of the burning building, it must have been really something, because now, even with the two of them, they were unable to lift Inu no Taishou onto the wagon. Finally, Kagome made a decision to remove his armour before lifting him again.

It wasn't until Inu no Taishou's armour was halfway off that she noticed Bunta's stare. "What is it?"

"You seem... adept at removing youkai armour," Bunta stammered out.

Kagome blinked as her fingers snapped open another hidden lock. "Well, I've seen Sesshoumaru remove his armour a few times when he visited Rin-chan..."

"Sesshoumaru?" Bunta's eyebrows flew up. "You mentioned him before."

"Inu no Taishou's youkai son," Kagome simply answered.

"And Rin?"

"A miko apprentice," Kagome answered without thinking.

"So his family likes humans?"

Kagome's mind came to a screeching halt, realising that Rin wouldn't be born in two-hundred years or so. "Sesshoumaru only likes _one_ human. In fact, first time I met him he nearly killed me, so I wouldn't say that the family as a whole _likes_ humans. They just wont seek you out just to kill you unless you bother them."

"Oh." Bunta helped her lift the armour off Inu no Taishou. "But you see this Sesshoumaru discard his armour often?"

Kagome was flabbergasted, searching his face to see if he was serious. Then she saw the twinkle in his eyes. "You have a sick mind."

"You have to admit that it's strange." Bunta protested as they finally got the armour off.

They were cut off as red fabric was released from where it had been between Inu no Taishou and the armour. Kagome picked it up.

"What is it?" Bunta asked.

"The skin of a fire rat," Kagome answered.

"Huh, anyway, isn't it strange that you are around youkai so much?" Bunta dismissed the red cloth.

Kagome put the skin onto the wagon before answering. "I don't know. I've been around them for a long time. In fact, one of my first friends in these parts was a inu hanyou. Then I befriended a kitsune youkai, then a houshi that came with a tanuki youkai, then a taijiya with a neko youkai, and also, I became friends with an ookami youkai pack."

"A houshi with a _tanuki_? A taijiya with a _youkai_? You befriended _ookami_? You are aware that ookami eats humans, right?" It was Bunta's turn to be flabbergasted.

"As you can see, I'm quite used to judging people on their own merits, rather than their species," Kagome brightly said.

Bunta snapped out of it, and he shook his head to clear it. "Your home village must be very interesting."

Kagome smiled forlornly. "Yes it is."

"Will your return after this?" _Please take me with you!_

Kagome looked down. "I don't think I _can_ return."

Finally, Bunta took the hint and changed the subject. "So, lets get this youkai-sama onto the wagon, you ready?"

Kagome moved to Inu no Taishou's arms while Bunta took the legs. It meant that Kagome took most of the weight, but it couldn't be helped as Bunta was still too jumpy and tried to touch Inu no Taishou as little as possible. Therefore it was with much grunting, twisting and general muscle aching that they managed to get the large "man" onto the wagon.

"You're more trouble than you're worth," Kagome repeated, wondering how the hell Inu no Taishou managed to sleep through all of that.

Suddenly, they heard a distant call and Kagome and Bunta froze.

"There were survivors?" Kagome asked Bunta.

"Yeah, they ran when they started the fire." Bunta stared in the direction of the voices. "I should meet them and tell them that you're both dead. Then they wont try to pursue you."

"Right, just help me with this," Kagome motioned towards the armour, and they heaved it onto the wagon. Looking at the exhausted boy with mangled (but still functioning, because Sounga wouldn't cripple its own host) right arm, Kagome suddenly declared, "you should be a scholar."

"Huh?" Bunta blinked as she retrieved Inu no Taishou's swords and scabbards.

"You like gathering information, don't you?" Kagome smiled, before she took the reins of the horses and started to walk away.

Bunta stared after her as she went through the destroyed wall and disappeared into the forest. He didn't move until a taller boy suddenly materialised by his side.

"Bunta! What are we going to do? Most of our elders are dead and I can't find Takemaru-sama, Izayoi-hime or Miko-sama anywhere! I thought you died when the youkai burst through the gates. Hey, are you listening?"

Yes, what was he going to do? Well, maybe he _would_ become a scholar. Maybe he even would write. _The Legend of the Youkai no Miko, perhaps?_ A smile, despite the situation, appeared. Then he turned towards his companion. "Takemaru-sama, Izayoi-hime, Miko-sama and the youkai are dead. They died inside a burning building."

~*~

Kagome's eyes darted around the trail of the snowy forest. While Bunta's proclamation of their deaths would keep the immediate attacks from humans away, Kagome was still travelling with a bloody, unconscious youkai, and it wasn't as if Naraku's ability to merge with youkai and steal their powers were unique. Kagome was willing to bet that once Inu no Taishou's blood's scent had spread, she would have her hands full with glory-seeking youkai.

And on top of it all, she had to listen to Sounga's complaints.

"Why aren't you killing him? You're a miko! Come on, you know that you want to kill him. He tried to kill you!" Sounga whined.

"Oh shut up!" Kagome snapped. _No wonder Saya was so annoying if he had to listen to t_hat_ for hundreds of years!_

…

Kagome stopped and turned towards the wagon, her eyebrow twitching. "Saya, come out!"

Nothing happened.

"Saya, if you don't come out in five seconds I'm using your amulet as target practice!" Kagome threatened.

A tiny light floated up from the wagon and formed the spectral youkai. "No need for that I assure you, Miko-sama!"

"Why didn't you come out earlier?" Kagome asked. _Like when Inu no Taishou used Sounga._

"We-ell, I thought it looked like you had everything under control!" Saya brightly replied.

"In other words; you were too scared to come out." Kagome deadpanned.

"I wouldn't say that," Saya protested.

Kagome sighed. "It's okay, but you don't happen to know where we can find some allies? There'll be youkai coming out of the woodwork soon and it would be nice to have someone at my back."

"Myouga should be somewhere in the forest," Saya supplied.

"Myouga is a scaredy-flea, I doubt he would be of any use," Kagome disagreed.

He looked at her strangely, but continued. "Toutousai should be nearby."

"Better, but he isn't exactly a fighter," Kagome grumbled. She remembered too many times when the blacksmith would prefer to just sit and watch from a safe distance. Very safe distance.

"If you're going to the ocean, there's always Sesshoumaru-sama," Saya said. "But asking him to protect you would be suicid-"

Kagome brightened. "That's it!"

Saya waved his arms in protest. "No it isn't! Sesshoumaru-sama will kill you, then kill me for telling you about him!"

"You're a ghost," Kagome pointed out. "Besides, I'm sure I can reason with him."

"Are you even listening? You will die before you have a chance to speak!"

"Then please let her do it," Sounga cut in.

"I could always use Tessaiga to trade with," Kagome mused aloud, ignoring them both.

"What?! You can't just trade away someone else's sword!" Saya was actually shaking. A warrior's soul is their sword, after all.

"He wont have any use for it if he's dead," Kagome cheerfully replied.

"It's utterly wrong!" Saya cried out.

Kagome was about to answer when she heard something. A tiny voice, and it was coming closer.

"MASTER! I'll save you from the miko!" came a tiny voice filled with bravado.

Kagome blinked as she felt a tiny pinprick on her neck. Reflexively, she smacked the offender, making him fall down onto the wagon. "Myouga-jiichan?"

"There you are!" Saya called from his place by Sounga's scabbard.

But Myouga didn't answer, and Kagome frowned. Being flattened never silenced the talkative flea before. Looking closer at him, Kagome yelped as youki suddenly surged from the diminutive youkai. Stumbling backwards, Kagome landed on her bottom and stared in disbelief as Myouga started to grow.

And grow.

And grow some more until he was the size of a soccer-ball. His eyes were red.

Well... _That_ never happened before.

Sensing the danger, the horses nervously danced in place. Fearful, but too well-trained in dangerous situations to panic. Kagome realised that she had to do something quick, before the horses' patience ran out and they bolted.

Backing slowly away from Myouga, she dodged his next attack and reached blindly into the wagon.

"Wha-?!" both Saya and Sounga was cut off as she used them to smack Myouga over the head.

"BAD MYOUGA!" Kagome yelled as she kept smacking him into the ground with the sheathed sword. "BAD, BAD MYOUGA!"

Finally Myouga fell unconscious and returned back to his usual size, and Kagome breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was-" Saya was cut off.

"That was the most humiliating victory that I've ever been a part of, you better pray that you die before I kill you, you bitch!" Sounga ranted.

"Oh shut up, both of you!" Kagome snapped at them. "I didn't see you two come up with any bright ideas."

"That's because I want you _dead_, you stupid bitch!"

"It'll go on like that for centuries," Saya glumly grumbled. "Last time it took two-hundred and fifty-seven years to shut it up."

"Oh really?" Kagome's temper snapped and she sent a generous spark of purifying energy into Sounga's hilt. "SHUT UP!"

Sounga quieted down, but its aura promised terrible revenge once it managed to possess someone again. Kagome once more ignored it and prodded Myouga with her toe. "Hey, Myouga-jiichan, wake up. I need you to find Toutousai and Sesshoumaru for me."

**End of Chapter**

I went back and changed Ryuukossei to Ryuukotsusei as the tsu in his name was large and not small (as in Tessaiga). At least on the Japanese Wikipedia it's like that. For the record, Tessaiga's kana was written like this: てっさいが, while Ryuukotsusei's kana was written like this: りゅうこつせい . The tsu is these characters: っ, つ.


	5. Calm Before Storm

**Beyond Distant Time**

**Chapter V**

**Calm Before Storm**

"You want me to inform Sesshoumaru-sama that you will trade one of Master's swords in exchange for his protection?" Myouga asked, his four arms crossed as he sat on the edge of the wagon. "Furthermore, you want me to find and bring Toutousai to you?"

"Got it in one." Kagome smiled.

Myouga sceptically looked at her, before he transferred his gaze to Saya, who waved his arms in a dismissive action. This miko was no threat to their Master. Yet, at least. Even if she was, there was also _that_ to take into consideration, and doing so, Sesshoumaru-sama would certainly be a good candidate to save Master from her if she was a threat. And if Sesshoumaru-sama felt inclined to do so. "I'll then take my leave, Miko-sama."

"Just make sure that you say 'swords' and not Tessaiga!" Kagome called after him.

"What are you planning?" Sounga wondered despite its resolution to ignore the miko.

"Well, I don't need to give him _Tessaiga_," Kagome let on.

Sounga's jewel lit up. The whelp wasn't yet strong enough to resist its possession! What irony it would be for Inu no Taishou to die by his son's hands and the miko to die by her desired protector's.

"In fact, I bet he's forgotten that Tenseiga exists!" Kagome brightly continued.

Sounga's jewel dimmed.

Saya nodded, a bit more satisfied with this solution as Inu no Taishou had originally planned to give Tenseiga to Sesshoumaru anyway.

"But first we should meet up with Izayoi and Inuyasha." Kagome took the reins of the calmed horses and they were off again.

They walked in silence, and in the silence, Kagome started to notice things. First, it was cold, and she hoped to reach Izayoi before she and Inuyasha became sick from exposure, the other, was some of her mistakes. Like using Inuyasha's name, and everything else that spoke of familiarity towards the youkai she was assembling. At least she hadn't called Sesshoumaru 'onii-san' yet.

Then she remembered her first meeting with Sesshoumaru and mentally winced. She would make sure to keep Tessaiga close at hand, just in case.

But all this only brought back her sickly fears about time paradoxes. No one had ever created a time paradox before, what if Kagome, in creating one, effectively destroyed the world?

Well, it was too late now, and Kagome just couldn't stomach killing Inu no Taishou in cold blood. Yet, if it was the only way...

She cast a furtive glance backwards, but quickly turned back towards the trail in front of her. _No! Bad Kagome! Do not ever think like that again. The ends do not justify the means._

But Saya had seen the look in her eyes, and now he was on guard, because if it was one thing the sheathe of the Sword of Hell knew, it was the look of killing intention, even when clouded by doubts and secrets. It was almost comforting, because miko were supposed to want to kill youkai and not save them, at least now, the strange miko who knew too much was normal.

Little did he know the true reasoning behind her behaviour.

Meanwhile, Kagome was trying to prepare for meeting Sesshoumaru once more for the first time. Their last first meeting had nearly ended with a Kagome-puddle of goo, and Kagome reminded herself to keep Tessaiga close at hand, just in case. However, she would trust her luck. Because her luck had kept her alive this far, even if it had times when it was less reliable (like being pulled through time), it was still her main asset. _Yes, that's good. Keep thinking positive thoughts. Because if I don't, I've lost before I've begun._

"Miko-sama?" At the sound of the familiar voice, Kagome looked up.

"Izayoi-hime!" Kagome smiled as she saw Izayoi against the dawning sea horizon. Inuyasha sleeping in her arms.

"You are hurt," Izayoi frowned as she came closer, looking at Kagome's sooty, ripped and bloody clothing.

"Most of this isn't mine, but his." Kagome motioned towards the wagon.

Izayoi gasped and ran around the wagon to have a closer look. "He is-"

"-Fine," Kagome interrupted. "It takes more than this to kill a youkai. In fact, he woke up for a few moments before and will probably wake up again soon."

"Oh." Izayoi hugged Inuyasha closer to her body, and Kagome frowned.

"We should seek shelter before we all become sick."

Izayoi smiled timidly. "Actually, while I was waiting, I found a cave... What is the matter?"

Kagome didn't answer, instead she enveloped Izayoi in a hug. _Thank heavens for clever princesses!_

~*~

Installing themselves into the cave was a tricky business, as the opening was where the water met the sand (or, snow, in this case), and the ground in front of the entrance was littered with stones and boulders of varying sizes, forcing Kagome and the horses to walk out into icy waters at times. By the time they had managed to get the wagon into the cave, Kagome was unable to feel her toes. Then they immediately dismissed the thought of getting Inu no Taishou off the wagon. Handing over the fire rat skin to Izayoi, which was promptly wrapped around Inuyasha, and Kagome handed Izayoi another kimono instead, as well as asking her to collect branches and driftwood for a fire, Kagome then turned towards the unpleasant task of cleaning the wounds that Ryuukotsusei had inflicted.

Removing the three layers of silk and fur from his upper body was a battle, but nothing compared to what Kagome saw once the wounds came into view. Four large gashes criss-crossed Inu no Taishou's torso, from shoulder to hip, and they reeked of Ryuukotsusei's youki.

"Remind me to ask you _why_ you decided to pick a fight with him when you wake up," Kagome said through emphatically clenched teeth, and she begun to prod around the wounds.

They were very clean, if you disregarded the youki, and Kagome steeled herself, knowing what she had to do.

"What are you doing?" Both Sounga and Saya sharply asked as her powers started to slowly boil to the surface of her skin.

"Don't speak to me right now," Kagome ordered, the skin of her entire body aching with the effort to keep the powers contained and controlled. She had done this once on a youkai before, and it had been Kirara. The key was to physically touch the foreign youki with one's hands, instead of just sending a lethal punch of purification through an already weakened youkai.

Grimacing, she crawled onto the wagon and hissed a warning at Saya as the spirit opened his mouth, then, she placed a folded blanket on his stomach and then her knee on top, before reaching into the wounds.

The reaction was instantaneous, as Inu no Taishou's body lurched in pain and nearly threw her off, but Kagome leaned with her weight on the knee on top of him and continued through his spasms, feeling as Ryuukotsusei's youki fizzled into nothing as her glowing fingers stroked the inside of the wounds.

She hated this type of purification, and it wasn't solely because it was one of the things she had no talent in, but it was a case of the cure being more painful than the disease. But if she didn't do it, Ryuukotsusei's youki would keep the wounds from healing.

Finally, Inu no Taishou's system was so overloaded with pain that he lapsed into deeper unconsciousness, settling down and letting Kagome quickly finish her work.

"I'm sorry," she said as she crawled off the wagon, before looking at her blood-soaked hands.

Her eyes then trailed towards the horses, who nervously stomped as she approached. She had to make sure to buy as much time as possible before any youkai came. She then started to comb bloody fingers through the manes of the agitated horses. It was almost like they knew what she was planning.

When her hands were somewhat clean, she wrestled the bloody fur and a kimono from underneath Inu no Taishou's body, before massaging the blood into the coat of the horses. They were definitely disturbed as they chewed on the bits, ears playing and eyes rolling.

Then, their coats were as bloody as they would get, Kagome removed their harnesses, leaving on their bridles, before leading them outside the cave.

She could see Izayoi returning as she started to remove the bridles, and as Izayoi came within hearing range, Kagome used the reigns to whip the horses as hard as she could over rump.

The already nervous horses exploded in panic, running and bucking, before breaking into full flight, disappearing into the trees that lined the beach.

"I'm sorry," Kagome mumbled. The decoys would probably not survive the night, but their trail could confuse any would-be trackers. Or that's what Sango taught her.

"Miko-sama?" Izayoi asked, arms laden with wood.

"Nothing," Kagome said, before taking some of the wood from her. "Lets make ourselves at home."

~*~

Kagome frowned. It was dark, too dark, and somewhere to her right, a bright light was shining. She also could, but not explain how, feel other lights approaching, but those lights were much dimmer. Spinning around on her heels, she paused.

A woman with long, black hair and miko clothes looked at her. A four-petal flower on her forehead. The woman was speaking, but Kagome couldn't hear her, so Kagome opened her mouth to ask the woman to raise her voice, but was unable to do it.

A hand landed on her shoulders, and a familiar aura invaded her.

Kagome panicked and ripped herself from the grasp, facing Naraku with fury in her eyes. He was supposed to be dead!

"...Miko..." He was speaking, but only a few words filtered through the strange silence in her ears. "...Listen..."

She shook her head and turned around, noting that the woman was gone. She could feel Naraku reach out towards her and she broke into a run, only to sink through the inky ground. Next thing she knew, she was trapped in glass, half-buried in sand. What more, sand showered down upon her, filling her prison.

If it continued, she would suffocate.

~*~

Gasping, Kagome sat up, feeling sand trickle down her neck. Looking down at the sandy floor of the cave, she ruefully smiled. Was she so unsure about her current situation that she had to dream about Naraku and drowning in an hourglass? She shook her head, freeing more sand from her scalp. Then she froze, because she could feel youki that didn't belong to Inu no Taishou or Sounga in the cave.

Turning her head to the right, her mouth dropped open.

In the mouth of the cave, an awake Inu no Taishou laid, and in front of him, with a fire separating them, Toutousai and Saya were speaking in hushed voices. Kagome flew to her feet immediately, reaching for her bow.

"There is no need for that, miko," Inu no Taishou's voice rumbled through the cave. Kagome immediately recognised the larger than life presence that Toutousai, Myouga, Saya and Sesshoumaru had revered.

"You're awake." Kagome simply said. "That's good."

Inu no Taishou chuckled. "You are as interesting as they tell me. However, I still cannot understand how you could know the name of my son before I even knew it."

Kagome gulped, of course Saya would have overheard her use Inuyasha's name. But her scared expression was quickly replaced by an uneasy smile. "Miko's intuition."

"And the very same intuition expects Sesshoumaru to protect you?"

Kagome opened her mouth, but was saved by the bell.

Or roar, in this case as the surface of the ocean swelled, before breaking open to reveal a large dragon's body.

"Inu no Taishou!" the dragon roared, and Kagome felt a bit less saved.

Inu no Taishou struggled to get up, but Kagome hurried to his side, pushing him down. "Don't get up."

Inu no Taishou snarled at her. "I must protect Izayoi and Inuyasha!"

"That's my job, your job is to stay put and heal," Kagome ordered, drawing an arrow and walking out of the cave.

"You don't know who you're dealing with," Inu no Taishou called after her. "He's Tatsuma, Ryuukotsusei's son, there's no way for you to win against him."

"Watch me," Kagome cheekily called back, but when she faced the dragon, mossy scales glinting with salt water, she felt less sure. Did her "saviour" have to be so damn big?

Still, she only had to buy time until the youkai she felt approaching got there. She fired her arrow.

Tatsuma roared in pain as the glowing arrow embedded itself into his tail.

"Miko, I have no business with you, leave," he ordered.

"Too bad, because I have business with you," Kagome quipped back. She fired another arrow, before rapidly firing one more.

They struck his right hind leg and left foreleg. He once more roared, this time in fury, but before he could retaliate she had let two more arrows fly, and then the spell was complete.

Lights wove a net from arrow to arrow around Tatsuma's body, and he trashed furiously against it, but couldn't move, and when his muscles moved so that his scales touched the net, a painful hiss was heard. Still, he wouldn't give up and trashed more and more as his aura expanded, and even though the net was frayed, it didn't break.

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief, making her way back towards the cave. It would hold long enough. It then occurred to her what it meant, and she mentally groaned. Talk about moving from frying pan to fire.

Because when she entered the cave, Sesshoumaru flickered into existence behind her.

**End of Chapter**

Happy New Year! Now you can read this story both on and . Plus, Sesshoumaru finally arrived! I tried to find most of the errors in this chapter, however, I'm suffering from sleep-deprivation so some might have slipped through. If you notice any, I would be grateful if you would want to point them out.


	6. Second First Meeting

**Beyond Distant Time**

**Chapter VI**

**Second First Meeting**

No matter how you took stock of the situation it would disfavour Kagome. For one, she had an extremely curious inu daiyoukai backed by a bunch of fossil youkai (okay, so not really fossils, but almost there). Second, she had an extremely large dragon out for her life and just about to snap his restraints. Thirdly, an inu youkai who looked like he wanted to kill her.

And all that came to Kagome's mind was, _he's so short!_

In her defence, Sesshoumaru was several inches shorter than his future counterpart, and on top of that, he didn't even have half the aura or youki of his future self, making him a lot less impressive. And it was around that observation when Kagome realised that this Sesshoumaru, who hadn't repelled at least three invasions single-handedly during the two-hundred years when his father was dead, might not have what it takes to defeat Tatsuma.

Well, it was too late now.

"Hi, Sesshoumaru," Kagome greeted him with sunny optimism, and she distinctly heard Toutousai choke on something in the background.

"The flea claims that you will give me my father's fangs," Sesshoumaru rumbled.

Said flea made a flying leap from the fur to Inu no Taishou's shoulder. "Forgive me, Master, but the miko insisted."

Sesshoumaru glanced at his father, but the older youkai made no move to contradict the statement, and so Sesshoumaru turned back his attention to the miko.

In this brief exchange, Kagome managed to locate the fangs. Saya and Sounga were of course by the fire, and Tenseiga and Tessaiga had been left on the wagon. Kagome wondered how Inu no Taishou managed to grip Sounga with such deep wounds in his shoulders. Maybe it was a form of youkai magic?

"Miko." Sesshoumaru was losing patience, especially when Inu no Taishou placed himself between Sesshoumaru and Izayoi, and by extension, Inuyasha.

"Right, the deal is that in order to get a sword, you must protect us," Kagome stated.

Sesshoumaru's aura expanding in warning, though it was still nothing like his future aura so Kagome didn't even react, instead she went around the cave and collected the swords. First Sounga and a quietly protesting Saya, then Tessaiga and Tenseiga.

Inu no Taishou, however did notice the warning. "Sesshoumaru, I owe her my life."

It was a strange thing to say in a situation like this, and Kagome looked up in puzzlement, only to see the very familiar image of Sesshoumaru leaping at her. She squeaked, more in surprise and dismay than in fear.

"Dokkasou!"

Kagome felt both Tessaiga and Tenseiga pulsate in response as the rock of the cave wall melted over her.

"I'm too dead to die!" Saya cried out as they sunk into the gooey rock.

"Miko-sama!" Izayoi cried out, but she quickly silenced herself when Inu no Taishou stalked forward.

"What have you _done_?"

"I simply fixed so that you would not be indebted to a miko, father," Sesshoumaru answered. "You should not have declared your debt to her."

This seemed to enrage Inu no Taishou. "But I did, and that makes your actions unlawful and treacherous in all of the lands."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, but did not answer. His father should know by now what he felt about the laws that were instated upon the creation of the lands. Inu no Taishou opened his mouth to continue when the molten rock parted to reveal a panting and unharmed miko.

"Talk about deja vu." Kagome gasped, clutching the swords to her chest while Saya was still shaking. She then looked up at Sesshoumaru, frowning. "You know, if you always try to kill people upon first meeting them, you make a terrible first impression." She then struggled up to her feet.

"Miko-sama!" Izayoi lit up and Kagome gave her a half-hearted wave.

And the rest? Well, Toutousai nodded to himself, remembering the wards that he put into the swords. Myouga was concerned, because if the miko was untrustworthy, it would be hell to defeat her if she could take the Dokkasou and come out unscathed. But it was the two dogs who were the most astonished.

It never crossed Inu no Taishou's mind to remember the wards, instead he could only wonder in disbelief how a _human_ could survive a shower of Sesshoumaru's venom.

Sesshoumaru, who never knew about the wards, was extremely aggravated at her survival, and the fact that she _still_ didn't seem to fear him.

"So, do we have a deal?" Kagome asked as if nothing had happened.

Sesshoumaru looked between Kagome and Inu no Taishou, calculating his response. The fact that the miko survived lessened his punishment for "killing" her, but another attempt, even if she survived, would see to his destruction, no matter who his parents were. "Give me the swords."

Kagome frowned. "No. Promise that you'll protect us until we're safe, then I'll give you _one_ of the swords."

Sesshoumaru looked at her, clearly not thinking that she was in a position to bargain.

Kagome looked back, thinking the same.

Then Tatsuma's restraints broke.

He rose with a roar, his mind obsessed with one thing; kill them all. He surged towards the cave, but the water betrayed his movements to the people within as a wave flooded the floor.

"We must get out of here!" Toutousai interrupted the negotiations, his cow allowing Inu no Taishou and Izayoi to climb onto it before they all turned to escape certain drowning.

Unfortunately for Kagome, she did not have a youkai's speed and the water was soon to her chest as she struggled to get out. Slowly, her smugness was being replaced by fear, after all, maybe she died here, and Inu no Taishou died at Tatsuma's claws and that Myouga, Saya and Toutousai tried not to create a time paradox when they spoke to her in the Sengoku period, and maybe Sesshoumaru had tried to prevent her from going back in time altogether so that the current events wouldn't play out?

"Miko-sama!" she heard Izayoi scream, and Kagome tried to hurry, but by now the water reached her chin and every time one of her feet lifted to take a step, a wave would wash her backwards.

"I don't want to drown!" Saya wailed despite not being a living and breathing creature.

"I don't want to be stuck in the ocean floor forever. Move faster, miko," Sounga ordered.

But she was too tired from saving Inu no Taishou and restraining Tatsuma, and she could feel how her muscles gave up, one by one, as cramps started to settle in. It clearly wasn't good for her muscles to warm, cool, warm, cool, warm and then get dipped in cold sea water, Kagome was now starting to appreciate all the times her P.E. teacher made them warm up before each gym class back in school.

A painful, vice-like grip constricted around her neck, and she struggled until she was lifted out of the water, because then, any struggling she made could break her neck. She couldn't breathe, and on top of that, humiliation settled in as Sesshoumaru flew her out of the cave by the scruff of her neck, like she was an unruly puppy.

She hugged the swords closer to her chest. There was no one he would get one of them before he verbally promised them protection. Then the grip let go, and for a moment, she was in mid-air, before hitting, face first, into the snow.

"You-" Kagome sputtered and gasped as she sat up. "You-you-!" She was so unsettled and angry that she couldn't even complete her sentence. Sure, she was happy that she was still alive, but this Sesshoumaru had two arms and no excuse as to lifting her by her neck. In fact, she would have gladly hung onto the fur instead!

"Me?" Sesshoumaru wasn't as much looking at her as he was looking at the swords, and Kagome's temper rapidly cooled.

With an infernal grin, she continued her sentence. "You will _never_ get these swords if _that_ is what you constitute as protecting." As emphasis, she tightened her hold on the swords.

Sesshoumaru was not amused.

Inu no Taishou, however, _was_ amused as he watched the miko stand up to his son. Most would have folded when they learned about Sesshoumaru's father, but the miko seemed as if she didn't care and was _intentionally_ provoking Sesshoumaru. Of course, that was just a suicidal and ridiculous idea.

Inu no Taishou clearly didn't know Kagome.

"And you would never know how to use them!" Kagome finished with a triumphant smirk, the ground shaking as Tatsuma started to crawl up onto dry ground.

Sesshoumaru's knuckles cracked.

Kagome was unimpressed.

Sesshoumaru had to dodge as a beam of light cut through the space where he was floating.

Kagome marvelled that Tatsuma could breathe lasers, many years before humans would know that lasers even existed. She then decided to head for cover, because she was in no state to fight right now. She turned and scrambled behind some trees, before watching as Sesshoumaru kept dodging the lasers.

"Tatsuma's wasting youki," she mused aloud.

"Indeed," Inu no Taishou said as the bovine mount landed behind her. "But he has enough youki to waste."

"Yes," Kagome agreed. In fact, Tatsuma had a much larger aura and youki than this Sesshoumaru. "Will Sesshoumaru be okay?"

Inu no Taishou didn't answer, but it was answer enough.

Kagome bit her lip, she couldn't give Sesshoumaru Sounga or Tessaiga, because of obvious reasons (like possession, wards and Sesshoumaru's desire to take over the world), but at least Tenseiga would teleport him out of harm's way if things got too bad. She readied her bow and left the shelter.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Sounga asked as she dropped the swords.

"Sesshoumaru, come back here!" She called out, aiming at Tatsuma before shooting.

Something was wrong, because the moment she let go of the arrow, it felt like all her energy disappeared. Dizziness made her stumble backwards and she dropped to her knees. She only knew that her arrow hit its target because of Tatsuma's pained roar.

However, Sesshoumaru wasn't about to listen to her orders, and when her vision cleared, she could see him punch into Tatsuma's throat as Tatsuma tried to get the arrow out of his eye. It was then when everything went wrong.

There was a sickening crack, and Sesshoumaru learned the hard way that Tatsuma's scales were harder than the bones in his arm.

Sesshoumaru immediately retreated, his arm useless by his side as he landed in front of Kagome.

"Sesshoumaru." She struggled to her feet, picking up Tenseiga and using it as a crouch. She needed to give it to him.

Never one good at reading the tones of humans, Sesshoumaru bad temperately snapped at her. "I'll protect you. So give me the fang."

Kagome blinked, but soon a true, sincere smile spread across her tired face and she held out Tenseiga to him.

The look he gave her said _"you have got to be kidding"_, but Kagome persisted.

"Take it."

"Tenseiga is useless in this situation."

"The others are more useless because you'll only injure your other arm as well, at least Tenseiga will protect you!" Kagome cried out in desperation as Tatsuma stopped trashing and focused on them with his remaining eye.

This made Sesshoumaru pause, but the movement of the enemy spurred him into action and he took Tenseiga from her. She continued to smile as Toutousai grabbed the back of her clothes, and Tessaiga and Sounga, and pulled them to safety.

~*~

"Even if you ensured Sesshoumaru-sama's survival, we still have the matter of our survival," Saya reminded her.

It didn't take more for Inu no Taishou, and he turned towards Toutousai. "Get Izayoi and Inuyasha out of here."

"What?" Izayoi, for the first time, raised her voice. "I am not leaving you."

Kagome could see what Inu no Taishou meant. The moment that Sesshoumaru lost, Tatsuma would focus on Inu no Taishou and Kagome, and all they would be able to do was to buy time before they died. "Izayoi-hime, listen to him. You must protect Inuyasha."

Izayoi wavered, but between certain death and protecting her son, it was an obvious decision. "You _both_ will come back alive."

Kagome smiled, but made no promises. Fortunately, she didn't have to as Toutousai mounted the cow and they were off.

"Take her to the palace!" Inu no Taishou called after them.

"The palace?" Kagome asked.

"A Castle in the Clouds. Not even Tatsuma can breach it."

"Master!" Kagome was surprised as Myouga appeared on Inu no Taishou's shoulder; she was sure that he would take the chance to get to safety.

On the other hand, he _had _attacked her to defend Inu no Taishou.

"Master, I know how you can heal faster!" Myouga jumped up and down in excitement. "At first, I was so confused- but then it occurred to me- then I thought it impossible- then I realised that it must be- but maybe not- but then again, it could be something other that does the same thing!"

"Myouga, slow down," Inu no Taishou ordered.

"Right, I'll get to the point." Myouga pointed at Kagome. "Drink her blood!"

…

"What?!" Kagome and Saya exclaimed. Sounga was silent, or rather, silently amused.

"In case you did not notice, I am not a flea and would not have the ability to convert blood into energy as you do," Inu no Taishou flatly answered.

"No, it's not that! Her blood boosts youki, jyaki and shouki." Myouga frantically waved his arms, and they heard Sesshoumaru get thrown into the ground.

"That's illogical, she is a miko and as such, her blood would be more likely to purify me, if it would do anything at all." Inu no Taishou seemed agitated at the sound of his eldest son being thrown around.

Kagome nodded fervently, and then winced sympathetically as Sesshoumaru was thrown through a tree. She wondered how much more Tenseiga would allow.

"When I drank her blood, my youki expanded beyond my control, and I didn't use any ability to convert it," Myouga explained. "I believe that any youkai who consumes her blood grows greatly in powers, at least temporarily."

Kagome hesitated, she remembered the large Myouga and looking back at a struggling Sesshoumaru, she made a decision. "Well, I already have lots of wounds, so if you want to try I wont stop you."

~*~

Sesshoumaru cursed his luck. When he would finally get his father's fangs, they had ended up with a miko who demanded his protection. Then he broke innumerable laws by trying to kill her after his father announced his debt. Then he promised to protect her for one fang, and he ended up with _Tenseiga_, while fighting his most powerful enemy yet.

And the most galling part of it all, was that said miko expressed concern and wish to protect _him_.

His whip expanded in his rage, but it didn't even scratch the diamond scales of Tatsuma.

Then there was his father. To find him alive had been both a relief and frustration. To find his new half-brother wrapped in fire rat skin aggravated Sesshoumaru, as his father had continuously refused to give him anything of worth, from one of his fangs to convincing Toutousai to forge a sword from Sesshoumaru's own fang (in fact, it had been expressly forbidden). Yet, his half-brother had a fire rat skin, and fire rats were extremely rare creatures only found on the North-Eastern parts of China. They were notoriously hard for youkai to slay with their protective reiki.

Of course, father had always doted upon his human lovers and their children, possibly to make up for their short lives, but this was the first time he went so far out of his way to find such a valuable gift.

And Sesshoumaru didn't like it.

In his distraction, he was once more thrown to the side with a thwack of Tatsuma's powerful tail, his armour shattering and rough scales ripping his clothes and drawing blood.

In a way, ryuu youkai were similar to fire rats, with their large reserves of youki and exceptional defence.

He could her a rib crack as he hit the frozen ground. He wouldn't be able to fight for much longer. His eyes turned red as he transformed.

~*~

It was impossible for such a small amount to do it, but it pulsated through his entire body, resonating with his youki. The half-purified edges of his wound speed up their healing, discarding the magic that had guarded against foreign youki. It pulsated and pulsated, a loud, frantic heartbeat in his head and he felt a worn sword being pressed into his hands.

"Save Sesshoumaru," the miko told him through his red haze. She was frightened, remembering how he went berserk before.

It wasn't as bad this time, and he turned towards the battlefield, excitement rivalling the pulsating power in his blood.

When this was over, he would have to investigate what kind of strange creature the miko was.

**End of Chapter**

OMG, I wrote this all in one sitting. (Is dizzy.) There was just so many reviews and I felt inspired and couldn't stop. Plus, I was evil who left it at Sesshoumaru's first, and very brief, appearance. Yes, my Sesshoumaru is currently a bastard, but then again, he hasn't met Rin or Kagura, and he's young (around 15-16 in human appearance, and around 970ish in true years), and has hormones and the belief that he's on top of the world (once daddy dearest kicks the bucket, too bad that his parents planned otherwise, as we will see in a future chapters [teases]).

Yes, this fan fiction is a Sesshoumaru/Kagome fan fiction, however, there's a lot for Kagome to take in and resolve before she can even begin to think about romantic relationships, and it will take a lot for Sesshoumaru to grow up and stop being so frickin' stubborn about humans, feelings and other general stuff.

Also, this fan fiction operate under the impression that before the Lands (North, South, East and West) were established, there was little in the ways of laws and rules, and much more instinctual and emotional, but once it became a sort of society expanding beyond the immediate pack, more laws and politics entered the picture, hence why there's a lot jumbled things around Sesshoumaru trying to kill Kagome. It will be explained in future chapters, along with the change of Kagome's blood, Inu no Taishou's former human lovers and hanyou offspring and so on.

Keep in mind, in my fan fiction, Inu no Taishou is pushing 5000, so he has had more than enough time have had meaningful and faithful relationships to all his human lovers, as well as seeing his hanyou offspring grow old and die (Inuyasha is currently his only hanyou offspring that's alive).

And yes, the palace is where Sesshoumaru's mother is.

And I can confirm that Kagome is still human and a miko, and we just saw her give her all plus some blood, so she wont grow much more in powers and become über-powerful (in fact, I even impose rules and limits on stuff like Naraku, Inu no Taishou, Sesshoumaru and the Shikon no Tama in this story).


	7. The Price of Power

**Beyond Distant Time**

**Chapter VII**

**The Price of Power**

Her body shook as Kagome watched Inu no Taishou jump between the two beasts. Her vision blurry with tears, and finally, she cracked.

Gasping, she clutched her bloody forearm, sinking down on the ground. It hurt so much! It felt like someone had lit her blood on fire and was corrupting her entire being at the same time. It felt like two armies were battling it out inside of her, ripping her apart, blood cell by blood cell.

Kagome had experienced the feeling of foreign bodies in wounds before, everything from stinging antiseptic treatments to Naraku's shouki, but nothing compared to the pain that Inu no Taishou's saliva induced. It was as if the trace amounts of youki in the saliva made her blood boil.

It had started at the first, feathery lick, but so had the recovery of Inu no Taishou's youki, and he was hesitant enough about it that if she cried out, he would have stopped. But Kagome didn't cry out, because if she did, then they were all dead.

So she grit her teeth, kept still, and after the third lick, when he almost lost control, sent him along with Tessaiga to save Sesshoumaru.

And now she paid the price, as her body was alternating between corruption, and then feebly with her exhausted powers, purification. She had certainly not felt anything like it before, and having youkai instinctively lick her wounds when she was unconscious and unable to stop the bleeding herself had happened before.

_Maybe there's something different? Maybe because it's not Shippou or Kirara?_ Her heart was beating frantically, trying to burst through her chest, and chills alternated with heat running up and down her spine.

Finally, she shoved the arm into the cool snow, despite how unhygienic it was, and sighed as the heat lessened. But the ache and pain wouldn't go away.

~*~

Sesshoumaru was thrown to the side and immediately turned back into his human form, fortunately Inu no Taishou choose that time to step in.

"Kaze no Kizu!" The blades of wind cut into the scales and Tatsuma roared, drawing back from Sesshoumaru.

Something was wrong, very wrong with his father's youki. It was like it was artificially swollen, and even from a distance, Sesshoumaru could see how his father fought for control, how his muscles writhed as if trying to force a transformation.

Tatsuma became even more enraged upon seeing Inu no Taishou, and barrelled towards him. Inu no Taishou simply shifted his stance.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. This was it. The attack that only Inu no Taishou could use with Tessaiga. It's what happened when Inu no Taishou's youki spilled over and joined with Tessaiga's. It was the attack that earned Inu no Taishou the nickname of Tougaou, Fighting Fang King.

"Chi-iro Kiba no Shin!" Inu no Taishou called out, bringing down the great blade.

Immediately, cracks spread out in front of him in the earth, but more than just an earthquake, the greenish brown energy from the sword became many points of solid spikes, piercing the diamond-scales of Tatsuma, holding him in place as a great wheel of youki rolled from the tip of Tessaiga and cut him from nose to tail, before cutting through, and parting, the sea.

It was as if time paused, then the youki exploded in a bright light, crushing what was left of Tatsuma into the ground in a gravity based attack, before dissolving. The sea filling the trench made by the wheel.

And then Inu no Taishou collapsed to his knees, panting and shaking.

It was all Sesshoumaru needed to understand and he struggled to his feet and turned towards the pained and feverish miko, fury blinding him, he stalked forward, his hands clenching and unclenching.

The miko looked up at him with a relieved smile, clearly not expecting his next action. In a flash he held her up against a tree by her throat.

"What did you do to my father?!" He snarled.

She choked and grabbed his wrist, trying to remove his hand, but she might as well have tried to move a mountain.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Myouga cried out. "You're killing her! You know the punishment for killing her!"

But Sesshoumaru was too far gone to think about stupid things like laws and punishments. "ANSWER!"

The miko opened her mouth, and he felt her throat flex underneath his hand. It only served to make him press harder, thus ending her futile tries to speak.

"Your father just took what she offered!" Saya tried to reason with him.

It was the wrong thing to say. "LIAR! Father would _never_ resort to power boosters!" Sesshoumaru's hand started to close around her throat.

Only for him to be punched in the side of his face and thrown away from the miko. It was Inu no Taishou, who was cradling the miko in his arms. "Prudence takes presence over pride, Sesshoumaru. I will expect you in court within three days."

And that was the last the miko heard before she lost consciousness.

~*~

"Kagome." That voice. Naraku!

Kagome's eyes flew open, but to her chagrin, she couldn't move as Naraku and the strange woman looked down on her.

"She's awake," the woman said. "Well, in a manner of speaking."

"I know. But can she hear us?" Naraku asked.

"I'm letting it take over, but it needs to be contained soon or she'll be consumed like you and me. She can hear us for a short while."

"So no long-winded explanations?"

"Not with our souls in this state. We cannot synchronise. Quickly, we are running out of time."

"Very well..." The strange, deafening silence was returning. Naraku turned towards her, and frowned as he recognise her expression. He then started to repeat one word. "...Li...ive...Live!"

Then everything around Kagome shattered in pure light, and a thought fluttered through her head. _Well, now I'm sure that he isn't the real Naraku. Because he wants me to live._

~*~

Her throat ached and her head throbbed, but it wasn't that which made her open her eyes, no, it was the feeling of coarse hair prickling her face. Blinking, she sluggishly sat up and looked around. All she could see was sky and the same, moving white-haired surface.

Then her brain started to catch up and her head jerked up. She could see huge ears on the titanic dog's head.

Her first thought was of Sesshoumaru, and her second thought was, _Sesshoumaru was never this big!_ Which meant that it wasn't Sesshoumaru. Her third thought remembered Inu no Taishou, and she relaxed slightly.

"Miko-sama?" Kagome looked down and saw Saya floating on top of the scabbard that she still held with white-knuckled fingers. "Are you alright?"

Kagome opened her mouth to answer, but her abused throat protested. Instead she settled on nodding. She then tried to bend her locked fingers from the scabbard. It went painfully slowly, but finally she could massage her freed fingers. Then she hugged herself.

Winter air at high altitudes meant _cold_.

"We are making good pace and should be at the palace soon." Myouga jumped down from his position on Inu no Taishou's head. He then noticed her shaking. "You should take a bath in the hot springs when we arrive, Miko-sama."

Kagome brightened. Hot springs!

Then she yawned, because her body was consuming a lot to recover, and she hadn't eaten, or even had more than an hour of sleep, in far too long. Looking up at Inu no Taishou's head, she quickly made up her mind. He probably wouldn't even notice.

Curling up into a ball, she burrowed as far into the coarse, warm fur beneath her as possible, and fell asleep.

"I have never seen a miko seek physical contact with youkai before," Saya remarked.

"I have never seen a miko fall asleep within a mile of a youkai before," Myouga stated.

"I have never met a more aggravating miko," Sounga complained. It was ignored.

Inu no Taishou silently agreed as he felt the miko's cold fingers burrow into the fur above his shoulders. _So many questions, and so little answers._

~*~

Being Lady of the West was not easy work by any definition. You not only had to run the diplomatic and domestic sides of ruling a Great Land, but also make up the difference on the battlefield whenever the Lord of the West... _fudged_ the battle-plan by barging in like some idiot high on testosterone, believing himself invincible. Then there was being married to him, which was the hardest part of all.

Oh, don't get her wrong, they had a perfectly amiable agreement. She would be allowed to indulge in her, shall we say, more is better at the same time, urges, and he was allowed to indulge in his human-princesses-with-a-spark. She just never realised the amount of hanyou offspring that would come from it.

At least _she_ had no extramarital offspring, because she knew how cruel life would be, both for said offspring and their legitimate counterparts. She remembered clearly how the laws surrounding human lovers came to be.

The first time Inu no Taishou brought a human lover to the palace, she was ripped into itty bitty pieces by a devoted servant who refused to acknowledge the human as one of them. This was a widespread sentiment amongst... well, _everyone_ in the palace.

Which was why the second lover was pregnant when she arrived, it was hoped that her child would be enough for acceptance. Unfortunately for her, inducing miscarriages is really easy in a palace where the aura of the other residents could go poisonous if they disliked you enough. And then she joined the first lover.

Third time's the charm, and the next lover appeared with a hanyou child. Sure, they were treated like fungus on the bottom of a shouki-consumed youkai's paws, but no attempts were made on her life. Which prompted a soldier to bring his lover and child to the palace. Then the soldier died and his lover and child was killed.

Which meant that at the death of the youkai lover, the human lover and their offspring were to be exiled from the palace for their own safety. Well, the soldier died at war, and the war wasn't over, so Inu no Taishou hardly was at the palace, and it fell to the Lady of the West and Sesshoumaru to educate the hanyou on being a youkai.

Then the hanyou went mad and killed his mother, and in his thirst for blood, he turned towards all others and had to be killed.

But it didn't stop Inu no Taishou for grieving for a few decades before trying again with another human, and to be quite honest, the Lady of the West was getting fed up with it all.

Still, when Toutousai arrived with another human princess and a inu hanyou, she gracefully greeted them, none of her reminiscences apparent on her face. After all, laws and rules dictated that until news reached them of Inu no Taishou's death, she would have to treat Izayoi as her sister.

~*~

Kagome wasn't surprised when she found herself in the hazy darkness-slash-rainbow-kaleidoscope. Neither was she surprised, though disconcerted, to find herself in front of Naraku and the mysterious woman. This time she didn't flinch away or try to run, despite feeling that she was fully capable of this, instead, she waited and watched them. And they watched her.

Naraku said something, but all Kagome could hear was deafening silence.

The woman shook her head, and Kagome noticed that she was becoming blurry.

Naraku smiled that ironic smile he used to give Kagome before trying to mentally torture her. Also fading away.

He reached out towards her, and she stood her ground, somehow knowing that he would never be able to reach her.

Then a bright pink light engulfed them and Kagome found herself in a familiar dream, bent over a math book in her old high school, her teacher with a clock and ruler above her, urging her to solve impossible puzzles faster.

~*~

"Miko-sama?" The unfamiliar voice brought Kagome back to consciousness, and she had barely opened her eyes before she squeezed them shut again. It was just too bright!

Then she noticed the familiar constrict and gooey-ness of bandages with herbal mixtures around her neck, and just how _warm_ she was and that there was a blanket covering her and a mattress, or at least something similar, beneath her.

"Miko-sama, you need to at least drink before you fall asleep again. You're dehydrated." The same, hypnotic and unfamiliar voice said.

Something cool and hard was pressed to her lips, and an arm helped her into a sitting position. Then the glass –cup? –was turned and she instinctively drank, trying replenish her lost reserves. It didn't taste like water, but it didn't have the tell-tale wrongness of most poisons she had the misfortune to taste. It was also heated at body temperature, something her abused stomach appreciated.

When she was finished, the cup –glass? –disappeared, and she was put down into a comfortable position on her side. This time, she slept dreamlessly.

~*~

It was three days later, and Sesshoumaru had dutifully abandoned his patrolling and arrived at the palace. What first hit him was how the mood had changed. Irritable and restless, and he didn't have to be a genius to figure out why. After all, he could smell humanity within the walls for the first time in a hundred years. His lips thinned as something else tugged at his senses, from the hospital wing. It was an increase and decrease of purification, in tandem with a heartbeat. It was uncontrolled and too large.

For any youkai society, it was like allowing a time-set, highly destructive spell in their midst, but it was allowed, because in order to kill the miko, one would have to kill Inu no Taishou. His frown deepened as he felt something else, smaller than the miko's aura. The feeling of a group of inu youkai, in the hospital wing, flaring their auras.

Idiots.

Ignoring the unpleasant sensations, Sesshoumaru entered the palace and was immediately approached by Konomi. The squirrel was almost apologetic as she lead the way, and announced his presence, at the court of his parents.

One glance at his mother told him that she wouldn't be helpful. She was in a bad mood and someone would have to pay.

Sesshoumaru ignored his father, intent on doing so for as long as possible.

"You certainly dug yourself a hole," was the Lady of the West's opening statement. "What is a mother like me supposed to do with a son like you?"

Sesshoumaru sent her a frosty glare. She fooled no one with her crocodile tears.

Youkai court was nothing like human courts. For one, it was more of a gathering of powerful youkai in the same room, around two thrones with the rulers (though except for his parents and Konomi, there was no one else there at the moment). Second, it was more wild and less formal than its human counterparts.

The Lady of the West stood, and glided over the floor to her son. "To attack someone after a declared life-debt from your father is considered treason towards the Land he rules. And it is enforced in all the Lands. It's usual punishment is death. What's your defence?"

Sesshoumaru didn't answer. She would only delight in picking it apart.

"Lucky for you, you will not die today." She grinned. There was sneaking suspicion that he might have wished it after being dealt whatever punishment they came up with.

She returned to her throne, and now the Lord of the West spoke, and Sesshoumaru noted that he was still slightly strained, but not affected in a sense that mattered. He was recovering, and Sesshoumaru didn't know if he wished his father to recover after doing such a thing.

The punishment was delivered without any frills or whistles, like most orders of the youkai court. "Sesshoumaru, as you decided to kill the miko, you will now be charged with the responsibility to keep her alive for the rest of her natural life as her protector."

There was a pause afterwards.

"Look on the bright side," the Lady of the West said, noticing Sesshoumaru's stony silence. "Most humans don't live to see a hundred years."

It was a mild punishment and Sesshoumaru knew it. It was also a practical punishment, freeing Inu no Taishou from protecting the human at all times, instead relegating that duty to Sesshoumaru. And on top of that, a supremely effective punishment, being what Sesshoumaru would hate the most.

Then the implications set in and his eyes widened, before he spun on his heels to hurry out of the courtroom, almost barrelling into a group of powerful youkai on their way inside.

~*~

Groggy didn't even begin to cover what Kagome felt, yet she still forced herself awake, fuelled by instinctive panic. Their auras were choking her, trying to overwhelm and corrupt her and she had to stop it. A scream tore through her newly restored throat and her powers wrestled themselves from her body, seeking out her tormentors with eerie accuracy.

As her eyes opened, she saw a surprised face before the inu youkai ceased to exist. She heard screams of pain and panic as all other youkai tried to scramble out of her ever expanding aura, losing limbs and having their hair and clothes burnt and singed, but she couldn't stop.

There were so many enemies around her. So many youkai around her.

~*~

Sesshoumaru didn't have to look to know that his father was close at his heels, as the screams and purifications expanded through the buildings. They finally stopped at the door that separated the hospital wing from the rest of the palace, and their instincts screamed at them to go back the way they came.

"Fuck." Sesshoumaru blinked, but soon realised that it was Sounga and not his father who had spoken. "What hell made her do this?"

It was very interesting that the sword of hell believed the miko needing provocation to purify a youkai settlement, and one that made Sesshoumaru pause. He had assumed that the miko saved his father by coincidence, and that it was Inu no Taishou's weakness for human women that made him declare a life-debt and ordering Sesshoumaru to keep her from drowning. But if even Sounga didn't believe her to be hostile towards youkai, then maybe he would have to re-evaluate the miko's position.

Though she was certainly hostile at the moment. Sesshoumaru and Inu no Taishou side-stepped as the inhabitants of the hospital wing came stumbling, wobbling and running through the door. Sesshoumaru recognised several of the ones that had been purified enough to lose limbs.

They were fanatically devoted to his father, but also extremely hostile towards the human women who captured his attentions. They must have believed that the miko was his father's latest lover, and since she was a miko, get her exiled for trying to kill his father's soldiers.

Unfortunately for them, and for Sesshoumaru, the miko held a much more elevated position in the household than a mere lover, and their deaths would mean little as long as the miko was safe.

"You've certainly brought back something interesting this time," an impossibly beautiful youkai commented, watching the spectacle.

"I've been meaning to ask you about that." Inu no Taishou narrowed his eyes. "But now is not the time."

"No, because if this keeps up, both you and Sesshoumaru-sama will be in a very awkward position," the youkai mused.

"You eavesdropped?"

"I don't have to eavesdrop, you know. Though..." The beautiful youkai frowned. "It was... unusually difficult. And her," He gestured towards the hospital wing, "I can't find her at all."

"Because she's a miko?"

"No. Holy humans are easily within my sight. There's something else about, or around, her. Like time itself is woven into her skin."

It was all very interesting, but Sesshoumaru realised that now was not the time to be talking about the miko's mysteries. Not if they wanted the youki-powered, flying palace to keep flying. "Father."

Inu no Taishou glanced at Sesshoumaru and then looked back at the other youkai, only to find him gone. _Figures, an illusion as usual._ He squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. This would probably hurt. A lot.

He conjured a wall of youki around himself and started to walk through the hospital wing, and he felt Sesshoumaru do the same. Briefly, he considered telling Sesshoumaru stand back, since they had no way of knowing how powerful the purification would become, the closer they came to the miko. His youki hissed as tendrils of purification brushed against him, coiled back, and tried to spear him like striking serpents, only to hit the very same wall.

Then he felt it, the energy that had been leaving his body, the power he had taken in with the miko's blood, resonate in time with a heartbeat. Eyes wide in shock, he fell to his knees.

"Father?" Inu no Taishou looked up as Sesshoumaru called his name, his vision blurring and sharpening in time with the heartbeat.

There was something strange with what he was seeing, and maybe it was the after effects of the strange power, but Inu no Taishou was pretty sure that the purifying powers _did not_ purify Sesshoumaru's protective youki. In fact, they seemed to bend out of their way _not to purify Sesshoumaru_.

Why was this strange? Well, it was because all energy manipulators, be they youkai, miko, onmyouji and so on, automatically tries to overwhelm their opposite element, and only through fighting many battles side-by-side, the energies would slowly learn that whatever the reason, _that_ individual with the opposite element was not the enemy. But before that, it was a large strain to keep the energy from running amok and destroy one's allies.

Either Inu no Taishou was delusional (very likely, considering that he had ingested unknown powers from a source opposite of what he was made from), or the miko recognised an ally in Sesshoumaru, which was contrary to everything Inu no Taishou knew about Sesshoumaru. In fact, the very thought that Sesshoumaru would be fighting alongside as miko for enough battles for her powers to get used to him, and for Inu no Taishou to never have heard of it before, was laughable.

But it certainly would explain how the miko knew Sesshoumaru. Why she wasn't afraid, even when Sesshoumaru was clearly hostile.

"Father?"

Inu no Taishou snapped out of his musings, and made his decision. "You can go ahead. Look at it as your first job as her protector."

Sesshoumaru wasn't amused, but turned to walk slowly towards the out of control miko.

And Inu no Taishou was forced to reconsider his conclusions, because even if the miko wasn't afraid of Sesshoumaru... _Sesshoumaru_ was clearly _terrified_ of the miko.

**End of Chapter**


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